Nothing Left To Lose
by The Cool Kat
Summary: Balto was once the hero of Nome. Steele used to be a champion, respected and admired by all. They both had a taste of what the perfect life was like, only to have it cruelly snatched away from them by fate. They've always been losers in love, and now they have nothing left to lose….but each other. Balto/Steele slash fic. Rated T for language and dark themes.


**_Nothing Left To Lose:_**

Not all stories had happy endings. And not all heroes got the girl.

Nome, Alaska in the year 1925 was a crazy place. The Great Depression had yet to hit the world, and the twenties were still swinging, but Nome, a small little town on the Alaskan coast, was scarred and forever changed by the epidemic that had just took hold of it.

The crisis had been averted, by a plucky stray named Balto, but the town was never really the same again after that. After the lives of their children had been put entirely up to chance and were so narrowly saved, many of its residents moved to the states, a country where hospitals came in abundance, and one didn't have to wait weeks for medicine to be shipped thousands of miles. And unfortunately, one of those families leaving town was the Jones clan - Thomas, Evelyn, and Roslyn, along with their pet husky Jenna.

"**_The Dream of a Normal Death_**" by Murray Gold begins.

The move devastated the whole family. Thomas regretted having to leave behind his hometown, Evelyn didn't want to say good-bye to all their friends and neighbors, and Jenna and Rosie didn't want to move away from Balto, the half-breed who they owed their lives to.

Jenna was a strong woman. She once helped Balto fight off a grizzly bear, and she rarely ever cried no matter how sad she was. But when she learned she was really going to lose her boyfriend forever, she cried herself to sleep every night, all week.

But no matter how much they all disapproved of it, the women of the household couldn't do anything to change Tom's decision. Ultimately, the choice to move away was the best one when it came to Rosie's health, and Jenna understood that because she would do anything to protect her girl.

So on one cold Monday morning in the middle of January, the Jones packed up all their worldly possessions and loaded them into their jeep, and some of their friends' jeeps. They were standing in the middle of Main Street now, but soon they would be enroute to the nearest train station.

But while the humans were busy packing, Jenna was forcing herself to do what she had been putting off all week - a parting of ways. "So this is how it ends. We survive blizzards, bears, avalanches, and epidemics, and _this_ is what separates us", she said tearfully to her half-breed lover.

"This could just be temporary. The world's a small place, this might not be the end", Balto said hopefully. The hybrid had been in just as much denial as his would-be girlfriend ever since they learned of the terrible news. But one of them was going to have to face the truth.

Jenna shook her head, tears soaking her reddish-orange fur. "Balto, we need to face facts. You and I both know we're never gonna see each other again", she said, voice breaking.

"Don't say that. I'll always be here, waiting for you to return", Balto insisted.

"No, don't do that", Jenna said suddenly, taking the wolf-dog by surprise. "I don't want you to waste your whole life waiting for a girl who'll never come. I don't want you to be alone. After I'm gone, I want you to move on Balto, find yourself a new mate, someone who can love you and stay with you like I never could", she sobbed, rubbing her paw alongside Balto's furry cheek.

The husky and the half-breed, such an unlikely pair. They had been fighting fate their entire relationship, defying everything just to be together. But those days were gone now. And when he realized Jenna had already made up her mind and had given up, Balto was on the verge of breaking down himself. "Jenna, don't go. I love you", he begged. When Jenna shook her head one more time, for the last time, it killed him.

"And I love you too, but there's someone out there who loves you more. Find them Balto. Find them and hold on for dear life", she said, before leaning in and gently kissing the town hero.

And then too soon, much too soon, she pulled away from him and ran towards her family's jeep, not even daring to look back at the broken man she was leaving behind.

Not all stories had happy endings. Some stories didn't have endings at all. Some stories just started all over again from the beginning, like none of those impossible, world changing events that had transpired ever happened. That's what Balto felt fate had done to him. Thrust him back into his same old life as an outcast, but this time without Jenna.

**((()-()))**

The days seemed to last forever now.

It had been three months since the epidemic and since then not a single person had offered to adopt him. Sure they all said they were grateful for his help, but not one of them was grateful to enough to let a wild stray into their homes. Which was why he was still living with Boris in the trawler.

For the first couple weeks, Balto followed Jenna's advice and tried to go about his life as usual. He talked to Boris, he played with Muk and Luk, and he went exploring in the forest to see new places and things. But it just wasn't the same.

After a while, he lost the energy to go on nature hikes, and kept mostly to Nome. But then he stopped that as well after a few weeks, since it just felt too depressing for him to go town and for _her_ not to be there waiting for him. So he only went into town to get some food and bring it back to the trawler.

By the time three months had passed since Jenna's departure, Balto had done the opposite of moving on. He spent most of his days lying under his blanket, counting the hours until the sun set and he would be left alone to his dreams again. Dreams of Jenna.

He knew it wasn't what Jenna wanted for him, but he couldn't bring himself to abide her last wishes. Yes, he knew he was clinging onto the past, but it was better than focusing on a bleak future where nothing ever changed.

He had realized he couldn't keep doing this anymore, not without _her_. She was the ray of hope that had kept him going every day. She was the one he would always think about whenever he was isolated from all the other humans and dogs. She had been his reason to keep living ever since he was just puppy, but now she was gone and Nome didn't need his help anymore, so why stay in this rut?

But he wasn't going to just run off to another town and try to start over there. That wouldn't do him any good. Jenna's absence was the reason he was so depressed with _this_ life, and no amount of running away would help him.

Like he said, his reason for living was gone, so why keep on living? It was time for him to face what he had always suspected was coming his whole life. He had faced death with a straight face before and he would do again now. Except this time he wouldn't fight it, he would submit to it. Nome was safe, and his self-appointed job as its protector was done. The only thing he had left to do was say good-bye to the only people in the world who would miss him.

So one morning, when everyone else was fast asleep, Balto got up from under his blanket and started whispering into Boris' ear. "Thanks Boris. You were the best dad anyone could ask for. I just wish I could have been a better son", he said guiltily.

He did the same thing for Muk and Luk on deck, and as quietly as he could, crept off the ship and left his lifelong friends to enjoy their nap; unaware that his story was finally about to end.

**((()-()))**

"**_Only Martha Knows_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Steele had fucked his life completely up. He wasn't kidding. He had fucked his life up so much, his life's ass would be sore for weeks. He was no longer leader of the dog sled team, by the way. After he recovered from his head wound and learned of Steele's treachery, Gunnar Kaasen fired the purebred in a heartbeat. Instead Steele's old flunky Kaltag became the new face of troop 51, while Steele himself became trash. It was just a miracle one of the townsmen, Richard, took pity on the former champion and took him in. Otherwise he could add homelessness to the list of things he brought onto himself.

Of course, Steele hadn't always considered his current state of unemployment to be his fault. After Balto returned to Nome with the medicine and the other dogs made him an outcast, the one thought that had filled his mind all week was that Balto had ruined him. Until Nome's citizens started laying into him (and he thought he was master of insults). The things they said to him did more than sting, it felt like they were stabbing him over and over again every single day, as if they wanted him to keel over and die. Was this what life was like for Balto all the time?

So for the next three months he hid away in his new master's home, only daring to show his face in public when he absolutely had to. But most days he just sat inside, eating, sleeping, and wondering where he went wrong. And no matter how much he wanted to blame it all on Balto, he kept coming back to the same conclusion - he himself was the reason he was a social pariah.

_He_ had been the one who stubbornly insisted on sitting out in a blizzard and dying. _He_ had been the one to attack Balto and refuse his help, simply so he wouldn't have to share the glory with a half-breed. And _he_ had been the one who committed an unspeakable act of evil by sabotaging his own team and condemning dozens of innocent children to die, just to satisfy a petty grudge. He not only almost committed homicide, but genocide as well. He deserved everything he had gotten.

Ever since he had started picking on Balto as a pup, he had been planting the seeds for his own downfall. Especially considering the real reason he had been so hell-bent on destroying his rival.

So Steele was a much different dog now than he was then. In a way, losing his job, his life, and his friends had been the best thing that ever happened to him, since it gave him a much-needed dose of humility. And that humility showed today, when instead of walking down Front Street with his held high like he owned the place, he kept his eyes and face low to the ground, avoiding the hateful stares of all the dogs who had once worshipped the ground he walked on.

In the fact the only time he bucked up the nerve to look up was when one of those dogs started screaming. "Dear lord!", a woman exclaimed.

Intrigued, Steele looked all around the street, and noticed a crowd of dogs hovering outside the butcher's shop. What could be happening there that would be so alarming? Besides all the slaughtering anyway (which Jim did every day).

He had to know what all the fuss was about, so against his better judgment he stepped in the crowd. Luckily, none of the dogs seemed to notice him, since they were all too busy looking at something in the sky.

"Is he?!", another mutt, this one a male, yelled.

Steele followed their gaze and, ignoring the sun's bright glare, focused in on a brown dot standing on top of the building. Steele's stomach lurched, when he realized that dot was a living person. Well, a living dog. Someone who was standing precariously on the ledge, almost as if he was about to…

"I think he's going to jump", the woman from earlier said, terrified. And for a good reason.

But her fear was nothing compared to the horror Steele was experiencing. Because even though he was high up, standing a good three or four stories above Steele and the others' heads, Steele would recognize that pooch anywhere. Scruff brown fur, big bushy tail, honey yellow eyes, all those features belonged to only one dog in Nome, Alaska. "_Balto_", he thought.

**((()-()))**

Sure enough Balto was the one standing on the edge of the butcher's shop, staring down at the horrified town dogs and grinning a little in amusement when he noticed just how much they all looked like ants from this height.

It only seemed fitting he would choose this building. For all five years of his stray life he had snuck into the alley behind Jim's place, raiding the trash cans for any scraps he might have thrown away to supplement his hunger. This was the place he had always gone to for food, filling his belly so he could keep living his lonely life. Now it was the place he was finally going end it. And he would have done by now if it wasn't for his accursed instincts.

The instinct of self-preservation was what was keeping him from jumping off the ledge right now and splattering his blood all over the snow. As much he wanted to do this and get it over with, there was another side of him screaming at his suicidal half to wait and find another way, even though he knew there wasn't one.

"What in god's name do you think you're doing?!", someone snarled.

Balto didn't look behind him. He already knew who it was; he had heard the voice so many times he knew it by hard. Instead he kept his back turned to Steele, and continued to look down at the street below. "It's called suicide; it's a quick and relatively painless way to die. I hear it's something people in New York do quite often, but only when they've hit rock bottom like I have", he said, eerily calm for a guy about to kill himself.

"So you're gonna jump off a building?", Steele asked him in disbelief. He wanted to walk right up to the half-breed and punch him in the face for being so insane. But he held back, afraid that any sudden movements would take Balto off guard and send him plunging off the side of the roof.

"Until Jenna left I didn't realize how much I'd grown tired of my life. It never changes and it never gets any better. Everyone else moves on, while mine always stays the same. And things will keep on staying the same until the day I die, so I'm only speeding things up", Balto replied.

Steele's mouth hung open. Balto really meant what he was saying. "But…but if you wanna change things, why not just go join your wild kin in the forest?", the malamute stuttered, scrambling for another solution.

The half-breed raised his eyebrow. Steele had always yelled at him and told to go live with his kind, but this time he really seemed to mean his suggestion. However, Balto just scoffed at it. "The nearby packs won't accept me for the same reason you wouldn't. I'm a half-breed. No one would trust a wolf who's half-dog, just like how people won't trust a dog who's half wolf. I'm stuck here, for the rest of my life, and that's why I'm going to cut it short", the wolf-dog explained.

Steele scowled and stepped a little closer to his rival's perch. "Balto, I'm not gonna let you kill yourself", he growled.

Balto knew this was a warning for him to get down before the malamute made him come down, not that Steele's threat had any effect on him. He may have been scared of his former bully before, he wasn't anymore. Because he was the one holding all the cards today, and the decision to jump was his'.

"**_Smith's Choice_**" by Murray Gold begins.

Balto ignored him, and turned his head back towards the street again. "You know I'm surprised you care Steele. I thought you'd be glad to see me off myself. Considering how I 'ruined your life' and all", he said sardonically.

Steele's scowl softened, and the malamute hung his head down slightly. "You didn't ruin my life Balto, I did it by being such a selfish glory hound", he admitted.

"Oh, so you're just realizing this now? It's a bit late for humbleness Steele. You always wanted me gone, and now you're about to get your wish", he sneered.

Steele had never seen Balto this cold or vicious before. The half-breed, even when he was angry, always seemed so passionate and emotional. But today he was so distant, almost like a shell of his former self, toeing the line between life and death. And nothing Steele was telling him was having any effect of bringing him back down. In fact, Balto seemed to be edging further and further towards the spot where the roof ended. He had to stop him, at whatever costs.

"Balto I'm sorry for everything I did to you, especially since I never even really hated you!", Steele shouted desperately. And by some miracle, his outcry stopped Balto in his tracks.

The hybrid, who had obviously not been expecting that, turned around and scowled at the malamute with a look of cynicism. "What?", he asked.

Steele had done it. He had got Balto to stop and listen, if only for a moment. But he had also boxed himself into a corner. By admitting some of the truth to the half-breed, he had let him catch onto a well-kept secret that he had himself had denied until just a few months ago. He didn't know how he was gonna bring himself to admit the shameful, sinful truth. But if he didn't, he would lose Balto. And if that happened he would have to live with the guilt of watching him die, and knowing he could have saved him but was too much of a coward to do so. So Steele swallowed his fear, and moved even closer to Balto, stopping at the ledge.

Steele raised his head, and as bravely as he could, did what he had promised himself he would never do. "That's right wolf-dog, I never really hated you. In fact, ever since the day we met, I've always been…attracted to you", he finally confessed.

If looks could kill, Steele would have burst into flames from the cold hard glare Balto was giving him. "What?", he repeated, teeth gritted.

"I said I'm attracted to you Balto. I'm gay", the malamute admitted.

Balto scoffed. "Do you really expect me to believe that, you, of all people, is attracted to me?", Balto replied.

"Yes", Steele replied.

Balto didn't say anything else, but he didn't turn away either. He kept direct eye contact with Steele, and the purebred realized he was studying him, trying to see whether or not he was telling the truth.

"Even if that was true, and you did have _feelings_ for me, then why would you treat me the way you did? Why were you always picking on _me_?", Balto demanded, deciding to humor his old rival.

"Balto you of all people know what this town is like. I was a champion, a top-notch sled dog with a career and a reputation, I couldn't be gay. Being gay would have destroyed all that", Steele explained. How ironic was it that it still happened anyway? "So I did what society insisted I do, shun you. I treated you like dirt, like an outcast, so people would think I was normal, and they wouldn't do the same for me", he said shamefully, looking away from the half-breed now, like he didn't deserve to gaze upon the stray's face. But now wasn't the time for guilt, and he couldn't take his eyes off Balto until he talked some sense into him, so he looked back at the half-breed to see his expression was surprisingly unchanged.

"You're lying. You're just doing this to wind me up or something", he said, still in denial.

Steele growled, and ran his paws over his face. How much more proof did Balto need? Then again he was trying to convince him that Nome's hottest bachelor and ladies' man had a thing for a male he supposedly despised. "Would I be trying to save you if I was?", he asked.

"If I die, you'll lose your favorite doormat, and I reckon you don't want that to happen", Balto countered, backing up. Backing up towards empty space again.

Nothing had worked. Steele had tried everything, but Balto just couldn't be talked out of this. He had to convince him his words were the truth, he just had to!

But what if words weren't enough?

Balto always the kind of guy who had to see things to believe them, and sure enough when he turned around he saw the craziest sight - Steele, climbing onto the ledge with him. "What are you doing?", he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"If you want to kill yourself, fine, but I'm going with you", Steele insisted.

"I know you Steele, you're not gonna jump", Balto said confidently.

"Why not? If you've lost your mind maybe I have too. Besides, I have nothing left to lose wolf-dog, just like you. I'm a loser, a failure, a reject, why should I stick around where I'm not wanted?", Steele replied. "Not to mention, this will prove that I'm telling the truth", he added determinedly.

"**_Miss Joan Redfern_**" by Murray Gold begins.

For the first time since their conversation began, Balto's eyes widened; color started to return to their dull, distanced glaze, and Steele knew that he finally believed him. But he wasn't going to stop here.

The malamute swooped into Balto's face, and before the hybrid could pull away, latched his lips onto his, kissing him like he would any female of his kind. Except…unlike his legion of female admirers, Balto _didn't_ want this. The guy wasn't even gay; so Steele was _forcing_ himself on him. But he figured he was already a social outcast, and (by religious standards) an abomination, he might as well become a molester too if it meant enjoying the kiss of a half-breed before death.

Indeed, Balto wasn't gay. The hybrid had never showed the slightest bit of interest in males of his kind. And the idea of kissing Steele should have been the thing of nightmares for him. But instead of it being cringe-worthy, locking lips with the former sled dog just felt…right. More than right, it felt _magnificent_. Like the kind of thing he had been waiting for his entire life. He hadn't felt this good since the last time he kissed Jenna. He slowly let his body relax and eased his lips open, allowing Steele passage to his mouth.

The purebred was elated. Balto wasn't just on the receiving end of his advances anymore; he was actually giving some back, which meant he wanted this. He actually _wanted_ Steele to kiss him. And the malamute was sure as hell gonna give it to him.

Down below them, the crowd (which now consisted of dogs _and_ humans) watched the spectacle with wide eyes and open mouths. People and animals from all walks of life couldn't believe they were witnessing something like this - which was already forbidden for humans - being performed by animals. Among the shell-shocked citizens was the famous troop 51, the most top-notch team of sled dogs in Nome.

"I didn't see dat coming", Nikki exclaimed, and Star nodded silently in agreement.

"Holy shit", Kaltag whispered, before the tan husky burst into laughter. But he wasn't doing it to be malicious, or because he wanted to mock them. It was because he was really watching the impossible, and it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Not only was their fearless leader gay, but he was kissing _Balto_. The dog who had been obsessed with beating the crap out of the other dog all the time was now kissing him shamelessly in public. "_Go on now_", Kaltag thought, whistling.

There were so many thoughts rushing through Balto's brain. He knew that letting Steele do this to him was just as horribly wrong as the malamute's actions, making them both sinners, but he didn't care. There was no denying this was pure nirvana for him. Besides, he had lived amongst humans all his life, and he never understood human religion, and he certainly didn't understand why they would taboo something that was so pleasurable. Maybe they did it out of fear of the unknown, like how they had pushed him away and pretended he hadn't existed. But just because few understood something didn't make it wrong, he was a prime example of that.

So when Steele finally released him and pulled away from him, Balto didn't care about how he was a man, or that he was his enemy, or even that they had just had one big grope-fest in front of the entire town. All he cared about was that Steele was the guy who had put him on cloud nine. "Steele…I…I don't know what to say", he mumbled.

Steele (who had been denying his lungs precious air for half a minute now), huffed and puffed like a wild animal. "You can tell me you're gonna listen to me, and not jump off this goddamn roof", he snarled.

Balto nodded, and as carefully as he could, walked to the other side of the ledge. He jumped back onto the safety of the roof, and Steele wasn't that far behind him. The malamute's plan had worked; he caught Balto's attention and gave him a reason not to jump.

It seemed Balto's story wasn't over yet after all. In fact, there was a whole new chapter just waiting to be explored.

"Okay Steele, I'm listening", the wolf-dog said, folding his arms across his chest.

**((()-()))**

Time passes, and people change, but life moves on as usual; never stopping and never slowing down.

The four seasons came and went, and pretty soon it was January again, the one-year anniversary of the serum run. In one night's time, the entire town would have an enormous celebration to commemorate the brave canines who saved the lives of their loved ones. But that big bash was still to come.

Right now, two of those brave canines, instead of sleeping and resting up for the big day, were slipping into a crawl space beneath the local hospital. It was a tight squeeze (since both of them had gained a bit of weight from a year of inactivity), but they made it through with only a few cobwebs as causalities. Of course, the brown one had to listen to his partner complain the whole way, but he, for the most part, ignored it.

When they finally reached their destination, the black and white one kicked up his complain-o-meter up to a thousand when he saw what greeted them.

"Steele relax, it's not a joke and these aren't just bottles", his half-breed mate said reassuringly. He gathered the broken glass in one big pile, and pushed them into a shaft of light coming from the above floor. And when the light touched the bottles, the room lit up. Both dogs took a big step back so they could see the entire multi-colored splendor.

How did they get here? It was a long and crazy ride. And it all started the moment Balto decided not to take his life.

Apparently, Steele _did_ want him for a mate, as hard as it was to believe. The idea of being Steele's boyfriend was a ludicrous one, especially since he wasn't gay and the malamute had been his own personal bully ever since they were kids. The odds of that ever happening were a thousand to one, but then again, Balto was familiar with those odds.

Steele had offered him a choice, a possibility of finding a mate, and Jenna's last request was for him not to let a chance like this pass him by. As much as he loved her, she said it herself that she wouldn't want him to waste the rest of his life missing her. The least he could do was honor her last wish and at least try to move on. Besides, the fact Steele had offered him a choice instead of trying to force himself on him proved he had changed. So even though there wasn't a chance in hell of it ever working out, Balto accepted Steele's proposition.

Naturally, they took things slow. Relationships don't start with grand gestures, or kisses hello and goodbye, or even proclamations of love. Instead, Steele would stop by the trawler every few days to see him. Boris found the whole thing just as unusual as Balto did, but he accepted it because having a gay son was a million times better than having a dead one (Balto had never seen his goose father so furious as when he found out the half-breed tried to commit suicide).

Balto and Steele's conversations were incredibly awkward, and even though Steele insisted he kept dropping by because it was the kind of thing lovers would do, Balto knew he was really afraid to leave him alone in case he tried to kill himself again. One day he called Steele out on this, and when the malamute denied it again he exploded. He told Steele he didn't need him to watch him all the time and that going along with this relationship was a mistake. An argument grew from there, until Balto eventually lost it and broke down crying in the malamute's arms. And for the first time in his entire life, Steele actually comforted him. In the days that followed, Balto stopped minding the visits so much and made an effort to be friendlier with his rival.

Eventually, Balto kissed Steele again (but by his own decision this time), and when he did he knew that the malamute was indeed 'the one' he had been waiting for. They spent the rest of the night in Balto's trawler, sleeping side-by-side in his cabin. They didn't do anything then but sleep, but they were closer than they had ever been, spooning each other til dawn.

Balto still loved Jenna, and she would always be in his heart (because you couldn't just turn off your love for someone and jump right onto the night person you date, life wasn't that easy), but now he realized he was starting to love Steele too, and Steele was the one who could spend the rest of his life with him, hidden in plain sight the whole time.

The closer he got to Steele, the more he realized why the ladies used to love him so much (something he always scoffed at). His muscles were well-built and defined from years running on the tundra. His eyes were a piercing light blue, almost as if they were staring right into your soul. Personality wise, he mainly had a mixture of charm, machismo, recklessness, and indignance. He was still kind of full of himself (though nowhere near as arrogant as he used to be), but luckily that was counteracted by his newfound sense of kindness and compassion. All these things combined created one hell of a sexy dog, and now he was Balto's boyfriend.

The wolf-dog actually found him attractive now. Quite what that made him he wasn't sure. He still didn't find any other males of his kind attractive or sexually arousing, only Steele. So he still wasn't gay. Maybe he was bisexual. Or maybe there weren't any labels to describe him at all.

"**_Mr. Smith and Joan_**" by Murray Gold begins.

The next month, Balto worked up the nerve to go into town with Steele (the malamute encouraged him to stride into town with his head held high, like he always used to). By then, everyone in Nome, even the humans, knew about them because of the incident, and the reaction from the town was a mixed bag. Many of the dogs disapproved, but they didn't dare voice their opinions beyond hushed whispering and disgusted stares.

On the other hand, Dixie and Sylvie, the biggest gossip hounds in Nome, surprised Balto by taking the side of their friend's former boyfriend. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star told him they didn't give a damn about whether or not he liked guys or even that he was half-wolf, since their butts would all be frozen in the tundra if it wasn't for him (though Kaltag did poke him in the ribs and jokingly ask him why he had to choose Steele).

One day, he decided to take Steele away from town to a clearing he found in the forest, where they could talk in private, away from their friends and family. He told him he was ready for the mating part of being mates, and Steele (being the surprisingly patient purebred he was), asked him if he was sure before they proceeded.

If Balto thought the brief kisses and hugs they had exchanged before were good, the sex was mind-blowing. Steele's reputation about him having sex with dozens of girls with obviously true (he was such a man-slut), since he knew exactly what he was doing. He hit all the right spots, kissed all the right parts, and gave his boyfriend a night he'd never forget.

Even more so, he gave Balto a turn at the wheel, even though the half-breed knew Steele would be incredibly uncomfortable surrendering his virgin ass to another male and not being in control for once. But he got through it with a brave face, and in the end their relationship was even stronger now that they knew they could trust each other.

When the summer passed Steele became worried about his mate having to spend another winter living in the trawler, so he asked Balto if he wanted to come live with him. The half-breed told him he would love to, but it'd be impossible.

Steele, being the crafty dog he was, had a whole plan devised on how to get him in. He'd take Balto home with him one night, and when his owner called him he'd refuse to come inside unless he let Balto come in as well. Either it worked and they both slept happy, or it failed and they both slept outside in the cold. But surprisingly, Steele didn't even need the plan; his second master let into Balto into his home without a second thought.

Richard knew all about their kiss on the roof top from his neighbors, and he wasn't oblivious to how much time they spent together now, so he wasn't going to deny them room and board together. If any of his neighbors stopped by and told him he was housing abominations, he'd tell them that what his dogs did with their lives was their own choice, and politely ask them if they wanted to talk outside.

So it seemed Balto had misjudged the citizens of Nome. Yes, there was still a majority of people and dogs who liked to shun anything different, but there were also good people like Kaltag and Richard who were open-minded to pretty much anything that came their way (they would have loved the hippy days of the 60s).

During the day Balto still made trips out to the trawler quite often, so his friends wouldn't think he had forgotten them. But during the night the hybrid didn't get much sleep, now that he and his boyfriend shared the same roof.

And so far tonight was another sleepless night, since Balto had dragged Steele out of bed, on the eve of a big party, to come see another light show. But neither dog really minded the exhaustion that much.

"Whoa", Steele exclaimed.

"Cool trick huh? It's all done with mirrors, or should I say bottles", Balto explained. "I showed Jenna this place once, and now I'm showing you", the hybrid said, lying down on the floor and beckoning for his mate to join him.

Steele laid down next to him, and threw one of his paws over the mutt. "She would be proud of you Balto, for how far you've come", the malamute declared.

"She would be proud of you too. She probably wouldn't recognize you, you've changed so much", Balto replied.

"I don't think she'd recognize either of us", Steele mused, nuzzling the wolf-dog's neck (yes, he had gotten used to the girly acts of affection that came with showing his softer side over the year). "Do you miss her sometimes?", he asked curiously, but with a hint of worry carefully buried underneath.

Balto paused, before shaking his head. "Yes and no. I do think about her some days, but I don't want her back. She was a great friend, and whatever boyfriend she's found now has no idea how lucky he is lucky to have her. But you're the one I want most in my life Steele. That's why I took you here. This place is more than just a pretty sight, it's where dogs from all over go to prove their love", Balto replied.

Steele smirked and sat up. "So I'm not just the rebound then?", he asked teasingly.

"Nah, if I wanted a rebound I wouldn't choose a guy who spends all his time puffing out his chest and admiring himself in the mirror", Balto said, grinning.

Steele frowned and growled, pretending to be angry. They had played these little games before. "And what makes you think I'd choose some scrawny little wolf-dog who's tail is so long it's a miracle it doesn't get stuck in doors all the time?", the malamute shot back.

Balto laughed, and licked his mate's cheek, softening his expression instantly. "Good one, but you get what I'm trying to say. I really do love you Steele, and I don't ever want to leave your side", the half-breed said, getting himself nice and comfortable and leaning into Steele's chest.

"Well then that's good, cause I'm not going anywhere", Steele replied, wrapping both his arms around Balto and securing the half-wolf to prove his point. He then licked Balto's ears and, confidentially, whispered into his earlobe. "And I love you too Balto", he said proudly, before closing his eyes and finally getting some rest.

This was what Balto had been waiting for his whole life. Things had, at last, changed for the better, and Steele had come through with his promise of giving him a reason to keep living. He had a lot to be thankful for now, but mostly he would be forever grateful to his old love Jenna, for telling him to move on and allow fate to bring him to his real soulmate. He meant every word he had said to Steele; he hoped Jenna was happy as well in her own new life, wherever she was.

"_Thank you Jen, for saving me one last time_", he thought, before closing his eyes and joining his boyfriend in a blissful sleep.

Not all stories had happy endings, but with some help from his friends, Balto hung tight until he finally got his. A hero's reward.

**_Author's Note:_**

This fic is dedicated to two friends of mine, That Nerd Next Door and Brasta Septim, guys who I know like to read Balto/Steele slashes, and were loyal reviewers of "**_The Revenge and Redemption of Steele_**". The music spread throughout this one-shot are compositions by Murray Gold from the Doctor Who two-parter "**_Human Nature_**" and "**_The Family of Blood_**" (the one where the Doctor becomes human). If any of you like a variety of instrumental music, I suggest you check them out on YouTube.

Ever since I announced to the world I was gay last summer, every once and a while someone would ask me if I was gonna write a Balto/Steele story. I never did write one, partly because I couldn't think of anything, and partly because I was way too busy writing stuff like the Salvation trilogy, "**_Erdan 2_**", and "**_The Revenge and Redemption of Steele_**". But for the first time in ages I have free time on my hands, so I've been making the most of it by writing long overdue stories.

There are very few Balto/Steele stories on this site, which is sad. What's even sadder is that they're divided between PWPs (porn-without-plots) and fluff pieces. Some of them, like "**_Mates_**" are made up of nonstop sex in every chapter; while others like "**_Cuddles_**" are incredibly short. Now don't get me wrong, I actually like fluff stories and PWPs (by now I've written slashy one-shots of my own for all different categories). And I'm not gonna say any of them are terrible since everyone has their own tastes in fanfics and every story is unique in its own way (who am I to spit on something that some everyday guy like me worked so hard to create?). But what I am saying is that none of them really dive into Balto and Steele's characters like I was hoping they would, and most of them give up the guys' personalities completely to fit the author's vision.

Now there's nothing wrong with changing a character's personality; part of what makes fanfiction great is the opportunity to change things to the way you envisioned them. But there is a problem when their new personalities aren't that believable (can you really picture a stubborn, independent, and strong-willed guy like Balto letting that blowhard Steele control every aspect of his life? Bull. Though if the master/slave thing is your kind of fetish, you're in luck). In fact, "**_Cuddles_**" and "**_Confessions_**" are the only two Balto/Steele slash fics that I really love, because they're fair to both Steele _and_ Balto.

That said, when I decided to write this story I knew if I was gonna complain about the lack of Balto/Steele romance out there, I was gonna have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Like I said, I actually like PWPs, but in my opinion there are already plenty of stories on this site where characters have sex and not enough where their characters change and have journeys; which is why there's no sex here (no sex described in detail anyway), but plenty of drama. Because there's more to being someone's mate than just having sex with them, and calling them your 'bitch' all the time. I wanted this fic to be a contrast to other Balto/Steele slashes where Steele is this bombasting tough guy who dominates over a wimpy Balto during sex and everyday life. In this fic, Balto is the one who's in control, while bullying Steele is left grasping at straws. And even when they do start their relationship, Steele still has to be patient and wait for Balto to get comfortable with it (like relationships normally progress).

Despite what some of you might think, I'm actually a Christian. Balto's thoughts about human religion aren't about it being wrong, but about how mankind interprets it. The human race has a nasty habit of using God's name and various types of religions to denounce anything they can't or don't want to understand. Whether it's different cultures, races, religion, sexuality, you name it it's been shunned (and there are examples of this all throughout history). Plus, I think all the religious references were fitting for the 20s setting (unlike the word 'gay', which still meant happy then).

I often compare the Balto/Jenna/Steele love triangle to Shakespeare's Romeo/Juliet/Paris dilemma. Balto even acknowledges this himself in "**_Salvation, Part 1_**", that his relationship with Jenna can't possibly end well, by Shakespeare's own standards. But for this fic, I wanted to turn it all on its head. Balto and Steele are the ones putting themselves out there, while Jenna becomes the quickly-disposed-of third wheel. I actually like Jenna, and I loved writing for her character in "**_Heritage of the Wolf_**", so it wouldn't have felt right for me to kill her or write her out of existence to make way for Steele. Instead I had her bow out with honor to another one of Murray's heartbreaking songs.

As for the scene on the rooftop, I've been wanting to write a scene like that for a while now, because I feel there's no greater emotional wringer in books, TV shows, or movies than two characters making a suicide pact, like in the aforementioned "**_Romeo and Juliet_**" (if there's anyone out there reading this who's lost a friend or family member because of suicide, I'm so sorry this story upset you, and I want you to know that I know this isn't something to be taken lightly. It makes for a great story in fiction, but in real life it's a tragedy), and it felt right to use it in this one-shot because I can't see any other way in hell Steele would just admit to Balto that he loves him unless he had no other choice.

So feel free to review. Let me know if you liked my first (and probably my only) Balto/Steele fic, or if it was just a waste of your time (if you did like it, tell your friends. I'm serious. If they're into Balto yaoi, tell them about this). And, just as important, do you think that Balto walked away from this fic with his dignity and self-respect intact?


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